Company with These–Run from Those

Vaclav Havel was the president of Czechoslovakia when I was there several years ago, as a result, I associate him with political matters. Therefore, I was a little surprised recently to read a quote from him addressing the subject of truth-seeking.

Here is what he said:

“Keep the company of those who seek the truth — run from those who have found it.”

Some people have given up on any search for truth. Their solution is that no real truth for everybody actually exists.

The rest of us, however, are still in pursuit of the truth. We feel that religious truth comes from the mind of God through the pens of His inspired authors who wrote the Bible.

With such a noble motive, how can a “truth-search” possibly be wrong? There are several likely possibilities. Truth is both simple and complex at the same time. The surface face of truth can be quickly seen. The inner core of truth sometimes eludes all but the most determined study.

As long as we are struggling in search of truth, we tend to have a certain humility. It’s similar to a mountain climber who is struggling to reach the top of the mountain and not sure he’ll make it. On the other hand, when we feel we may have reached the summit of truth, we may relax and become complacent. With complacency comes the tendency toward smugness. With smugness comes arrogance. A smug, arrogant attitude is not becoming to anyone.